The next major discovery? Kazakhstan is strengthening its presence at PDAC 2026.
On March 1, 2026, Kazakhstan Day took place in Toronto, Canada, as part of PDAC 2026, and this year’s event was truly special. For the first time, the Kazakhstan Chamber of Mining served as the official organizer of Kazakhstan Day—and, judging by the results, the debut was more than successful.
Despite PDAC’s packed schedule and dozens of concurrent events, Kazakhstan Day drew approximately 130 participants. The hall was filled to capacity; the event attracted significant attention from an international audience and received positive feedback from investors and industry representatives. Investors, junior and major companies, geologists, and technology providers gathered to discuss the new wave of exploration in Kazakhstan.
Speakers at the plenary session included:
• Ruslan Baimishev, President of the Kazakhstan Chamber of Mining
• Dauletbek Kusainov, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Canada
• Iran Sharkhan, Vice Minister of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Ruslan Baimishev set the tone for the event:
“Kazakhstan is entering a new wave of exploration—driven by reforms, international partnerships, and growing global demand for copper and other metals.”
Next—the specifics.
The session “Unlocking New Discovery Potential in Kazakhstan” brought together industry leaders and world-class experts: Tim Barry (Arras Minerals), Charlie Liu (Zijin Mining), Simon Cooper (Pallas Resources), Said Sultanov (AMG Ltd), Andrés Blanco (Xcalibur Smart Mapping), Anna Fonseca, and Professor Jeffrey Hedenquist.
The second part of the program featured presentations on projects and investment opportunities. Portfolio projects from AMG Ltd, Kogadyr Gold, Tasora, and Muzbel were presented. The discussion focused not on hypothetical potential, but on specific sites, data, scale, and strategies for advancing to the discovery stage.
Tim Barry (Arras Minerals) captured the general mood particularly well: “Kazakhstan offers unique opportunities for Canadian juniors to enter new jurisdictions—and the future looks bright.”
Kazakhstan Day highlighted the key point: Kazakhstan is increasingly being viewed not as a “promising jurisdiction,” but as a territory where a new cycle of discoveries is taking shape. And perhaps it is here that the next major success story in copper will emerge.
Special thanks to the partners of KZ DAY.
General Sponsors: Aurora Minerals Group, NAC Kazatomprom, Pallas Resources
Sponsors: Arras Minerals, TauGold Copper
